How and when service quality and satisfaction simultaneously influence purchase intentions?

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Consumer Behavior
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Understanding the interplay between service quality, patient satisfaction, and future healthcare choices is crucial for hospitals.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated the simultaneous moderating and mediating roles of satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how and when service quality and patient satisfaction influence healthcare purchase intentions.
• To clarify the relationship between service quality and satisfaction.
• To examine the dual role of satisfaction as a moderator and mediator between perceived service quality and purchase intentions.

Main Methods:

• A field survey was conducted among outpatients across 12 regional hospitals in Taiwan.
• Data analysis focused on understanding the relationships between service quality dimensions, patient satisfaction, and purchase intentions.

Main Results:

• The impact of various service quality dimensions on purchase intentions differs significantly between satisfied and unsatisfied patients.
• Patient satisfaction was empirically shown to function simultaneously as both a moderator and a mediator in the hospital setting.
• The study clarified the complex relationships between service quality and patient satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare providers must recognize the multifaceted role of patient satisfaction in shaping future patient behavior.
• Strategies to enhance service quality should consider its differential impact based on patient satisfaction levels.
• Managing patient satisfaction is key to influencing repeat patronage and positive word-of-mouth in healthcare settings.